Path of Meditation
Verse 6.22
यं लब्ध्वा चापरं लाभं मन्यते नाधिकं ततः। यस्मिन्स्थितो न दुःखेन गुरुणापि विचाल्यते।।6.22।।
yaṁ labdhvā chāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ yasmin sthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi vichālyate
Word Meanings
yam—which; labdhvā—having gained; cha—and; aparam—any other; lābham—gain; manyate—considers; na—not; adhikam—greater; tataḥ—than that; yasmin—in which; sthitaḥ—being situated; na—never; duḥkhena—by sorrow; guruṇā—(by) the greatest; api—even; vichālyate—is shaken
Translation · English
Having obtained it, he thinks there is no other gain superior to it; established in it, he is not moved even by heavy sorrow.
Deep Meaning · English
This verse marks the pinnacle of the practice of Dhyana-Yoga, describing the state of the Self-realized soul. Krishna explains that the attainment of the Atman is the ultimate fulfillment, rendering all worldly acquisitions trivial by comparison. When a practitioner attains this state, they reach a psychological and spiritual equilibrium where the 'wanting' mind—which is the root cause of all material suffering—is completely silenced. Because there is no longer a gap between the seeker and the sought, the seeker ceases to look outward for satisfaction, finding total contentment within their own divine nature. Furthermore, the verse highlights the unshakable stability of the Jivanmukta, or the liberated soul. Krishna uses the metaphor of being 'unshaken even by the greatest sorrow' to illustrate that the Self is inherently distinct from the fluctuations of the ego and the body. While the world may bring immense hardships and 'heavy' afflictions, the one established in the Truth remains like a deep ocean—surface waves may crash, but the depths remain undisturbed. This is the transition from a life governed by external circumstances to a life anchored in the unchangeable, infinite reality of the Divine.
True spiritual fulfillment is the discovery of the Self as the highest gain, granting an inner stability that remains unmoved by the most profound tribulations of the world.
Connected Verses
The Supreme Person is described here as 'Unchanging,' reflecting the same stability that the meditator attains when established in the Self.
This verse directly follows, defining the state of yoga as the 'severing of the connection with sorrow' and emphasizing the consistency of the meditative practice.
This verse defines the state of the one who is fully satisfied in the Self, mirroring the internal contentment described in 6.22.
Krishna encourages Arjuna to rise above the three modes of material nature, which is the prerequisite for the unshakable state mentioned in 6.22.
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